Chapter 4:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Luther
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 2 Corinthians Ephesians
Galatians 4
Verse 1. Now - To illustrate by a plain similitude the preeminence of the
Christian, over the legal, dispensation. The heir, as long as he is a
child - As he is under age. Differeth nothing from a servant - Not
being at liberty either to use or enjoy his estate. Though he be
Lord - Proprietor of it all.
Verse 2. But is under tutors - As to his person. And stewards - As to his
substance.
Verse 3. So we - The church of God. When we were children - In our
minority, under the legal dispensation. Were in bondage - In a
kind of servile state. Under the elements of the world - Under the
typical observances of the law, which were like the first elements
of grammar, the A B C of children; and were of so gross a nature,
as hardly to carry our thoughts beyond this world.
Verse 4. But when the fulness of the time - Appointed by the Father, ver.
Verse 2. Was come, God sent forth - From his own bosom. His Son,
miraculously made of the substance of a woman - A virgin,
without the concurrence of a man. Made under the law - Both
under the precept, and under the curse, of it.
Verse 5. To redeem those under the law - From the curse of it, and from
that low, servile state. That we - Jews who believe. Might receive
the adoption - All the privileges of adult sons.
Verse 6. And because ye - Gentiles who believe, are also thus made his
adult sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your
hearts likewise, crying, Abba, Father - Enabling you to call upon
God both with the confidence, and the tempers, of dutiful
children. The Hebrew and Greek word are joined together, to
express the joint cry of the Jews and gentiles.
Verse 7. Wherefore thou - Who believest in Christ. Art no more a
servant - Like those who are under the law. But a son - Of mature
age. And if a son, then an heir of all the promises, and of the all-
sufficient God himself.
Verse 8. Indeed then when ye knew not God, ye served them that by
nature - That is, in reality. Are no gods - And so were under a far
worse bondage than even that of the Jews. For they did serve the
true God, though in a low, slavish manner.
Verse 9. But now being known of God - As his beloved children. How
turn ye back to the weak and poor elements - Weak, utterly unable
to purge your conscience from guilt, or to give that filial
confidence in God. Poor - incapable of enriching the soul with
such holiness and happiness as ye are heirs to. Ye desire to be
again in bondage - Though of another kind; now to these
elements, as before to those idols.
Verse 10. Ye observe days - Jewish sabbaths. And months - New
moons. And times - As that of the passover, pentecost, and the
feast of tabernacles. And years - Annual solemnities. it does not
mean sabbatic years. These were not to be observed out of the
land of Canaan.
Verse 11. The apostle here, dropping the argument, applies to the
affections, ver. 11-20, and humbles himself to the Galatians, with
an inexpressible tenderness.
Verse 12. Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am - Meet me in mutual love.
For I am as ye were - I still love you as affectionately as ye once
loved me. Why should I not? Ye have not injured me at all - I
have received no personal injury from you.
Verse 13. I preached to you, notwithstanding infirmity of the flesh - That
is, notwithstanding bodily weakness, and under great
disadvantage from the despicableness of my outward appearance.
Verse 14. And ye did not slight my temptation - That is, ye did not slight
or disdain me for my temptation, my "thorn in the flesh."
Verse 15. What was then the blessedness ye spake of - On which ye so
congratulated one another.
Verse 17. They - The judaizing teachers who are come among you.
Zealously affect you - Express an extraordinary regard for you.
But not well - Their zeal is not according to knowledge; neither
have they a single eye to your spiritual advantage. Yea, they
would exclude you - From me and from the blessings of the
gospel. That ye might affect - Love and esteem them.
Verse 18. In a good thing - In what is really worthy our zeal. True zeal is
only fervent love.
Verse 19. My little children - He speaks as a parent, both with authority,
and the most tender sympathy, toward weak and sickly children.
Of whom I travail in birth again - As I did before, ver. 13, in
vehement pain, sorrow, desire, prayer. Till Christ be formed in
you - Till there be in you all the mind that was in him.
Verse 20. I could wish to be present with you now - Particularly in this
exigence. And to change - Variously to attemper. My voice - He
writes with much softness; but he would speak with more. The
voice may more easily be varied according to the occasion than a
letter can. For I stand in doubt of you - So that I am at a loss how
to speak at this distance.
Verse 21. Do ye not hear the law - Regard what it says.
Verse 22. Gen. xxi, 2, 9.
Verse 23. Was born after the flesh - In a natural way. By promise -
Through that supernatural strength which was given Abraham in
consequence of the promise.
Verse 24. Which things are an allegory - An allegory is a figurative
speech, wherein one thing is expressed, and another intended. For
those two sons are types of the two covenants. One covenant is
that given from mount Sinai, which beareth children to bondage -
That is, all who are under this, the Jewish covenant, are in
bondage. Which covenant is typified by Agar.
Verse 25. For this is mount Sinai in Arabia - That is, the type of mount
Sinai. And answereth to - Resembles Jerusalem that now is, and is
in bondage - Like Agar, both to the law and to the Romans.
Verse 26. But the other covenant is derived from Jerusalem that is
above, which is free - Like Sarah from all inward and outward
bondage, and is the mother of us all - That is, all who believe in
Christ, are free citizens of the New Jerusalem.
Verse 27. For it is written - Those words in the primary sense promise a
flourishing state to Judea, after its desolation by the Chaldeans.
Rejoice. thou barren, that bearest not - Ye heathen nations, who,
like a barren woman, were destitute, for many ages, of a seed to
serve the Lord. Break forth and cry aloud for joy, thou that, in
former time, travailedst not: for the desolate hath many more
children than she that hath an husband - For ye that were so long
utterly desolate shall at length bear more children than the Jewish
church, which was of old espoused to God. Isaiah liv, 1.
Verse 28. Now we - Who believe, whether Jews or Gentiles. Are
children of the promise - Not born in a natural way, but by the
supernatural power of God. And as such we are heirs of the
promise made to believing Abraham.
Verse 29. But as then, he that was born after the flesh persecuted him
that was born after the Spirit, so it is now also - And so it will be
in all ages and nations to the end of the world.
Verse 30. But what saith the scripture - Showing the consequence of
this. Cast out the bondwoman and her son - Who mocked Isaac. In
like manner will God cast out all who seek to be justified by the
law; especially if they persecute them who are his children by
faith. Gen. xxi, 10.
Verse 31. So then - To sum up all. We - Who believe. Are not children
of the bondwoman - Have nothing to do with the servile Mosaic
dispensation. But of the free - Being free from the curse and the
bond of that law, and from the power of sin and Satan.
Chapter 4:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Luther
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 2 Corinthians Ephesians
This version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible is a derivative of an electronic version, Copyright 1997, by Sulu D. Kelley. All rights reserved. Used by permission. It may not be modified or used commercially without permission of Wesleyan Heritage Publishing and Sulu Kelley. A special thanks to Mr. Kelley and Wesleyan Heritage Publishing for permission to create and post this version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible.
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
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Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
